The 6 Qualities of a Wise Leader–and How to Cultivate Them?

Weekly Business Insights from Top Ten Business Magazines

Extractive summaries and key takeaways from the articles curated from TOP TEN BUSINESS MAGAZINES to promote informed business decision-making | Since 2017 | Week 364 |  August 30-September 5, 2024

The 6 Qualities of a Wise Leader–and How to Cultivate Them?

By Chip Conley | INC. MAGAZINE | September 2024 Issue

Extractive Summary of the Article | Listen

When management theorist Peter Drucker coined the term knowledge workers in 1959, most people had no idea what he was talking about. Since then, knowledge workers have come to rule the world. Today, seven of the world’s 10 most valuable companies are tech com­panies, the ultimate workplace for knowledge workers.

But now, 65 years after the knowledge economy was born, we’re about to be ushered into the wisdom economy. In this landscape, artificial intelligence will be the commodity, and human wisdom will be a valued yet scarce resource.

All those folks who followed the trending advice to become software engineers? According to the author, his gut tells him they’re a dime a dozen now, and research shows 96 percent of those engineers’ current skills could be augmented by AI in the next couple of years. But discerning leaders who dive deep into what makes us human will never be rendered obsolete. What is your unique way of communicating, collaborating, and showing compassion? How do you metabolize your experiences and share that wisdom for the common good?

There are several distinct commonalities among the leaders who have effectively tapped into their wisdom.

1. Pattern recognition or connecting the dots.  In middle age, the brain shrinks a little, so memory and speed can decline. But the ability to synthesize information grows into late adulthood, in part because an older mind can traverse from the left brain to the right brain more adeptly.  A wise leader has an all-wheel-drive brain, which helps them see the whole instead of just the parts. It also means they have the peripheral vision to see the long-term consequences of short-term decisions more clearly.
2. Unvarnished insight.  With experience comes a clearer view, an intuitive insight, and the courage to express that insight. A wise leader can cut through the clutter to find the core issue that needs attention, whether it’s in a job interview or a strategic discussion.  Because many wise leaders have ceased trying to impress or prove themselves, there’s an unvarnished yet polished authenticity to these observations.
3. Self-reflection and presence.  Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens. And that doesn’t mean just literal listening. Authentic listening begins by listening to yourself and to the energy in a room.
4. Openness to dissent.  In 2012, Google’s Project Aristotle studied hundreds of internal teams at the company, and found that the most consistent variable among effective teams was how psychologically safe the team members felt. This safety is fostered by creating a more mindful, less emotionally reactive environment–the kind of environment cultivated by a wise leader who is both compassionate and capable of seeing beyond their personal needs to identify what’s valuable for the group.  The smartest person in the room is often stroking their own ego. The wisest person in the room stokes curiosity and builds trust.  A wise leader creates the space for people to not always toe the company line, whether that means they’re dissenting in a meeting or submitting a crazy new idea for the company.
5. Comfort in the face of paradox.  1Wise leaders are chemists of juxtaposition. They can synthesize seemingly opposite qualities in themselves: yin and yang. Gravitas and levity. Extroversion and introversion. Left brain and right brain. The wise leader transmutes these juxtaposed ingredients, and knows there is limited value in fixating on singular ingredients.
6. Lifelong curiosity.  Curiosity is the taproot of creativity and innovation. It’s a quality that opens you up to new experiences.  While lifelong learning is important, accumulating knowledge isn’t the same as distilling wisdom. Wise leaders explore the art of long life learning, which teaches how to live a life that’s as deep and meaningful as it is long. These leaders realize that knowledge is on your iPhone, and wisdom is in your gut–and that, yes, our gut may grow as we age, but it’s also full of hard-earned lessons.

3 key takeaways from the article

1. When management theorist Peter Drucker coined the term knowledge workers in 1959, most people had no idea what he was talking about. Since then, knowledge workers have come to rule the world. Today, seven of the world’s 10 most valuable companies are tech com­panies, the ultimate workplace for knowledge workers.  But now, 65 years after the knowledge economy was born, we’re about to be ushered into the wisdom economy.
2. Research shows 96 percent of software engineers’ current skills could be augmented by AI in the next couple of years. But discerning leaders who dive deep into what makes us human will never be rendered obsolete. What is your unique way of communicating, collaborating, and showing compassion? How do you metabolize your experiences and share that wisdom for the common good?
3. There are several distinct commonalities among the leaders who have effectively tapped into their wisdom.  Six of these are:  pattern recognition or connecting the dots, unvarnished insight, self-reflection and presence, openness to dissent, comfort in the face of paradox, and lifelong curiosity.

Full Article

(Copyright lies with the publisher)

Topics:  Leadership, Wisdom Workers, Curiosity, Creativity, Effective Teams